1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to accessory equipment for use in drilling wells, and more particularly to a tool for removing and installing a device, such as an upper inside blow-out preventer (IBOP), from a section of a drill string.
2. Description of Related Art
During drilling of a well that may encounter a source of subterranean pressure, such as an oil and gas well, one or more inside or internal blowout preventers (IBOPs) are placed inline with the drill string to prevent uncontrolled flow of fluids and gas up the center of the drill string. Typically, the drill string will have a lower IBOP threaded into the uppermost joint of drill pipe, and an upper IBOP threaded in-between the lower IBOP and top drive sub. At various points during the drilling operation, for example to add or remove additional joints of drill pipe, the IBOPs must be removed and re-installed.
Removal and re-installation of the lower IBOP can be performed with a pipe handler on the top drive unit, and is fairly routine. The upper IBOP, on the other hand, generally cannot be removed with the pipe handler, because it is above and out of the pipe handler""s reach. In the past, the upper IBOP has been removed and installed manually using pipe tongs. However, equipment suspended from the top drive unit, such as the pipe handler itself and elevator link-tilts, hinder access necessary to engage the tongs on the upper IBOP. Therefore, to remove the IBOP any equipment that is in the way must first be removed, and afterwards must be reinstalled.
Removal and re-installation of the elevator link-tilts, pipe handler, and other equipment is both time consuming and cumbersome. Neither the pipe handler nor the elevator link-tilts are easily manhandled, and each has multiple connections that must be removed and reinstalled. The problem is exacerbated in that much of the work must be performed from a ladder to reach the equipment. The drilling operations must be stopped during the change-out, and thus completion of the well is delayed during the change-out operations. Not only is it inconvenient to remove the equipment, but the delay in completion increases the cost of the well and the time before the well can be placed in production.
Therefore, there is a need for a tool which minimizes the time to change-out equipment such as an upper IBOP and the like that are not conveniently accessed by the pipe handler.
The invention is drawn to a tool for use in changing-out an inline component from a drill string that is not conveniently accessed by the pipe handler. The tool includes an elongate member with a flange adapted to abut the deck and support the elongate member in substantially upright orientation. The elongate member has an engagement member that is adapted to rotably engage the inline component.
The invention also includes a tool that has a pedestal member of which one end is insertable into an opening in the deck and the other end is adapted to engage and translate torque to an element of the drill string.
The invention also includes a method for removing an inline component from a downwardly depending drill string wherein an elongate member is inserted into a deck beneath the drill string such that the elongate member can rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the deck. The drill string is lowered over the elongate member such that the component is in proximity to an end of the elongate member. The component is engaged by an engagement member on the elongate member and the drill string is secured against rotation. The elongate member is rotated thereby rotating the component to unscrew the component from the drill string.
Advantages of the invention will become apparent from the foregoing drawings and detailed description.